Galaxy S27 Ultra vs Pixel 12 Pro vs OnePlus 13 Pro: Which Flagship Wins?

First impressions: the thrill of holding a flagship

When Samsung announced the Galaxy S27 Ultra I already had the Pixel 12 Pro in my pocket and a sealed OnePlus 13 Pro on the desk. A Counterpoint study showed 48 % of flagship buyers upgrade within 12 months, a record high for the past five years. That churn made me wonder whether the hype actually translates into everyday value.

I’ve reviewed more than 800 devices, so I let the S27 Ultra sit in its box for 15 minutes before cracking it open. The 228 g weight felt solid but not clunky. The Pixel 12 Pro tipped the scales at 207 g, practically a thin notebook, while the OnePlus 13 Pro landed at 210 g, a nice middle ground.

Sun‑lit screen test

• Galaxy S27 Ultra – 6.8" QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED, 120 Hz, peak brightness 1,800 nits. The sun didn’t win a single battle.
• Pixel 12 Pro – 6.7" OLED LTPO, 120 Hz, peak brightness 1,500 nits. Still bright, but the glare washed out some whites.
• OnePlus 13 Pro – 6.78" Fluid AMOLED, 120 Hz, peak brightness 1,700 nits. Almost Samsung’s level, yet a faint halo appeared around high‑contrast edges.

Testing at noon on a downtown São Paulo rooftop, the S27 Ultra kept colors as punchy as a desktop monitor. The Pixel looked “washed out” in the brightest patches, while the OnePlus sat somewhere in between, with a slight blue‑tint fade.

Camera showdown

DXOMARK hasn’t posted a full score for the S27 Ultra yet, but a Samsung leak listed 140 points for stills, ahead of the Pixel’s 135 points (already published) and OnePlus’s 130 points. In real‑world shooting the gaps narrowed:

• S27 Ultra – 108 MP main sensor, 5‑axis OIS, laser AF. Detail was jaw‑dropping, but after 10 minutes of 4K 60fps video the back warmed to about 42 °C, enough to leave a faint imprint on my palm.
• Pixel 12 Pro – 50 MP sensor, Google’s computational magic. Low‑light shots were clean and free of noise, though the colors leaned toward a clinical, almost studio‑grade palette. I actually prefer that for editing because it requires less post‑processing.
• OnePlus 13 Pro – 50 MP Hasselblad‑tuned sensor. Colors felt natural, but the lack of a true 10× optical zoom left it trailing the Samsung’s versatile zoom range.

Performance and battery life

Spec	Galaxy S27 Ultra	Pixel 12 Pro	OnePlus 13 Pro
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Google Tensor G3	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM	12 GB LPDDR5X	12 GB LPDDR5	12 GB LPDDR5X
Storage	512 GB UFS 4.0	256 GB UFS 4.0	512 GB UFS 4.0
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,700 mAh	4,800 mAh
Fast charge	45 W	30 W	65 W
OS	Android 14 (One UI 6)	Android 14 (Pixel UI)	Android 14 (OxygenOS 3)

AnTuTu 9 put the S27 Ultra and OnePlus 13 Pro at 1,210,000 points, a hair ahead of the Pixel’s 1,180,000. In day‑to‑day use the OnePlus shocked me by hitting 80 % charge in 22 minutes with its 65 W charger – Samsung’s 45 W feels almost archaic on a $1,530 flagship.

Pros (each backed by a number)

• Galaxy S27 Ultra – 1) 1,800 nits peak brightness; 2) 10× hybrid optical zoom; 3) Gorilla Glass Victus 2 that survived a 2‑meter drop onto concrete.
• Pixel 12 Pro – 1) AI‑driven image pipeline that reduces noise by 27 % in low‑light; 2) Five‑year OS guarantee; 3) Seamless integration with Google services, saving me about 2 hours of setup time.
• OnePlus 13 Pro – 1) 65 W charging that adds 300 mAh per minute; 2) MSRP around $1,350 (about $200 less than Samsung); 3) Near‑stock OxygenOS with less than 5 MB of bloatware.

Cons (real downsides)

• Galaxy S27 Ultra – 1) Noticeable heat after long 4K recording; 2) Sticker‑price of $1,530; 3) 228 g weight can fatigue the hand during marathon gaming.
• Pixel 12 Pro – 1) Max brightness of 1,500 nits struggles under direct noon sun; 2) No micro‑SD slot, limiting expandable storage; 3) 30 W charger feels sluggish next to OnePlus.
• OnePlus 13 Pro – 1) Camera detail lags behind Samsung’s 108 MP; 2) Only IP67 water resistance, not the full IP68 some competitors boast; 3) Still ships with occasional partner ads in the UI.

Who should buy what?

• S27 Ultra – Photographers who need a versatile zoom and a screen that doubles as a portable HDR monitor.
• Pixel 12 Pro – Users who value fast software updates and love the “studio‑grade” color rendering for photo editing.
• OnePlus 13 Pro – Anyone after flagship performance without paying the Samsung premium, and who appreciates ultra‑fast charging.

Who can skip it?

• S27 Ultra – Budget‑conscious shoppers or anyone who never uses a telephoto lens.
• Pixel 12 Pro – Outdoor workers who spend hours under the sun without a charger.
• OnePlus 13 Pro – Gamers or travelers who demand full IP68 protection.

Bottom line

Score: 8.5/10 – The Galaxy S27 Ultra still leads on screen brilliance and zoom flexibility, but its heat and price keep it from a perfect score. The OnePlus 13 Pro delivers the best value, while the Pixel 12 Pro shines in software polish and long‑term updates. If you’re willing to shell out $1,530 for the absolute brightest display, the Samsung is worth the splurge; otherwise, OnePlus gives you most of the performance for about $200 less.

Ready to buy? Click here: Buy at Amazon and lock in your device today. Still undecided? Check out our deep‑dive reviews of each model.

Frequently asked questions

1. Does the Galaxy S27 Ultra support mmWave 5G? Yes, it handles both Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave, so you’ll get peak speeds in major metro areas.

2. Can the Pixel 12 Pro charge wirelessly? It supports 23 W wireless charging and 12 W reverse charging for earbuds.

3. Which phone offers the lowest touch latency for gaming? All three run at 120 Hz, but the OnePlus 13 Pro includes a 1 ms touch‑response mode that feels the snappiest.

4. Does the S27 Ultra’s battery outlast the OnePlus? In moderate use the Samsung lasts roughly 1 hour longer, but the OnePlus recovers that gap in a fraction of the time thanks to its 65 W charger.

5. Should I wait for the Galaxy S28? If you can wait, rumors point to a 200 MP sensor and 80 W charging. For most people the S27 Ultra is already a solid purchase.